Video – Installing and Organizing Presets

I was looking through this site the other day and I realized that I have various videos and tips on installing and organizing presets. Since I refer back to this video constantly whenever I release new presets, I thought it’d be a good time for an update. And since I was updating the “installing” video, I figured I could include the “organizing” part too since it goes hand-in-hand with presets. So here’s the latest on installing and organizing presets. No need to bookmark it because I’ll make sure I always mention it whenever a new preset comes out. Thanks!

Matt is the full-time Director of Education for Kelby Media Group and a Tampa-based photographer. He's the Editor-in-Chief of Lightroom Magazine, the lead instructor on the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom LIVE Seminar Tour and author of several best-selling Photoshop books. Matt also hosts the world's top Lightroom blog, LightroomKillerTips.com, where he's built up a massive library of Lightroom videos, presets and tips. In addition to teaching Photoshop, Lightroom and photography seminars around the world, he's an instructor at Photoshop World and one of the full-time staff writers for Photoshop User Magazine.

This isn’t exactly what you have asked, but may do. It will resize the image to as close to 6×4 as you can get, given the Nikon aspect ratio (i.e. not exactly 3:2).

I’m new to Lightroom, so excuse me if this isn’t the best solution.

In LR, select the files you want from the Library filmstrip, then go File>Export… and select the options you want (JPEG, which folder to save them, etc), including Image Sizing. It only works in pixels, and you have to specify the MAXIMUM dimensions that it would be, so for a 6×4 image @ 200ppi, you want 1200×800 pixels. On my D2x, due to the aspect ratio, this sizes it to 1200×797, but as a workaround, setting the size to 1204×800 gives a full 200ppi image at 6.01×4 inches.

It’s not precise, but if you just want to get the filesize down and are not averse to a bit of cropping after printing, this will work for you.

Thank you so much for the free presets and the video on how to install them. I just purchased Lightroom 4 last month and the presets were the first thing I was trying to figure out. Your information is extremely helpful to me and I will be visiting your site often.

I should add, it also makes no difference renaming the raw camera profiles folder in Develop mode to just “Camera Profiles” or even “1 Camera Profiles” as there seems to be no way to move the folder higher in the list of Preset folders above the Lightroom presets in Develop mode which seems to be why they all come up first in the scrolldown list of preset sto be applied at import in the Library mode. Is there a solution to change this folder ordering or make preset folders selectable when applying at import?

Thx for your helpful tutorials. I am still using Lightroom 3.6 and the problem I am finding with Presets is that when I want to select a Camera Profile preset to apply at import in Library mode it is lost in a single huge list of presets which combines all different folders of presets created/imported in the Develop mode and even renaming the camera profiles with a 1 in front in Develop mode does not get them to the top of this Library mode presets list. Another problem I have is that the LR presets are repeated a few times, making the application of presets at import even more cumbersome. Is there any way to tidy up and organise this Library mode preset list applied at import?

Matt, thank you for all your cool tutorials and presets. In the video on how to organize presets in LR, you mention that one can create a new folder in the process of creating a new preset. How does one organize a bunch of existing and already imported presets in folders without creating a new preset?

Thanks for all your helpful info, not to mention all the presets. I use them a lot, as I’m mainly a Lr user, with some Ps and plug-ins from Nik, onOne and Topaz. I always end up back in Lr, for final touches.

One thing I don’t do much of is print. I don’t have printer, and when I do print, it’s with MPix.

The issue I’ve got is that while MPix does an awesome job (usually e-surface + lustre coating), the prints seem much more saturated than what I see in Lr. I should mention I’m a fan of very saturated colors (normally), to begin with.

My question is whether I can use Soft Proofing, in Lr4.2, to make MPix specific adjustments, like are there MPix profiles I could load/use? I should probably ask MPix, but you’re the Lr guru.

For info, I use a Dell U2711 display. I use Huey Pro (can’t afford Color Munki), to calibrate it every 2 wks, with 2 hourly room-light fine tuning. I currently set color temp to D65 and gamma 2.20. I’ve thought of maybe setting the gamma to 2.4, but that seems too global.

Hence my question about using soft proofing, for those rare occasions when I want to print. I seem to recall you having a video on using soft proofing in the develop module and brightness/contrast adjustments in the print module, but I think they were for folks’ own printers, not MPix.

If it’s worth it, maybe you could do a video for MPixers, or point me in the right direction. I’d also be interested to know if you’ll ever do one of your Lr classes in West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale.

I am about to buy a new imac. I have been using an eMac since 2005 and PhotoShop 7.0.1!!!! I had the education discount back then so I got the whole package. I have no discount now and I do not need the whole thing. I am trying to make an informed decision between Lightroom 4 and PS Elements.

My usage is for manipulating and improving the quality of my digital photography from my Canon Power Shot SD 790 IS Digital Elph. I use my pictures and digital creations on my line of greeting cards called CardTales (on Etsy now). I use Filters primarily, and color adjustments, textures, layers, etc. If you need more info to share your suggestions, please let me know. BTW, I print on 60-64 lb premium matte, canvas, paper and my current printer in an Epson Artisan 837.

ANY ideas are much appreciated! I have been told so far that Lightroom is much more sophisticated that Elements. Is it extremely different from what I am used to with Ps? Steep learning curve?

Hey Judith,
They’re 2 very different programs. Lightroom is for organizing and managing your photos along with basic adjustments (exposure, color balance, etc…). But no layers…
Elements has layers and textures and filters and all of the things you talked about. So it sounds like Elements may be the program for you. However, if you can swing it, I’d suggest organizing and managing with Lightroom, basic adjustments and so on.

Then get Elements (integrates with Lightroom) to do the layering stuff along with the filters and special effects.

And while I’m suggesting things… don’t forget that if you look at past release dates, Elements seems to come out with a new version sometime toward the end of September each year. Not saying that it’ll happen this year, but it seems to have happened each September over the past 7-8 years

Hi guys,I don’t know if I can ask this here but will and if not allowed someone please delete it.I use Photoshop and lightroom for my photos,my photos are NEF and usually bigger than the standard 4×6 but shoot raw and they are always bigger.My question is there a batch command in either program that I can select a bunch of pics and resize them all at once,ie;down to 4×6 and 200dpi from 13×20 300 dpi ?

This isnít exactly what you have asked, but may do. It will resize the image to as close to 6◊4 as you can get, given the Nikon aspect ratio (i.e. not exactly 3:2).

Iím new to Lightroom, so excuse me if this isnít the best solution.

In LR, select the files you want from the Library filmstrip, then go File>ExportÖ and select the options you want (JPEG, which folder to save them, etc), including Image Sizing. It only works in pixels, and you have to specify the MAXIMUM dimensions that it would be, so for a 6◊4 image @ 200ppi, you want 1200◊800 pixels. On my D2x, due to the aspect ratio, this sizes it to 1200◊797, but as a workaround, setting the size to 1204◊800 gives a full 200ppi image at 6.01◊4 inches.

Itís not precise, but if you just want to get the filesize down and are not averse to a bit of cropping after printing, this will work for you.

Thanks matt, i sometimes forget how to do the import part and like you i have also ended up with a endless list of presets. But now i know i can just create separate folders. this video was very helpful & thanks for the awesome FREE presets!

I found a way to organized imported presets into folders rather than having them all go into the User presets folder. For example If I wanted to import your black and white presets into a folder called “MattKs B&W Presets” I could do this.

1. Click on the + icon in the develop presets panel
2. In the dialog box select “New Folder…’ in the folder selection list
3. Now enter the desired name for the folder and push the create button. The new folder will now show up in the preset panel.
4. Push the cancel button in the create preset dialog.

You now have a new empty presets folder you can now select it, right click and import those presets.

It looks like there is only one level of folders supported. Before I found this, I played with importing into User Presets, then creating a subfolder using the finder (I’m using a Mac) and moving presets into it. This works, LR finds the subfolder when I restart it, but it shows up at the top level in the presets panel. Using the method above the new folder ends up next to rather than in the User Presets folder.

Matt, I just got LR4 so I am a total newbe. I normally use CS6 with ACR. I downloaded most of the presets I found on your blog here and was getting ready to install them as per your instructions. One problem where do they go? I am in the Develop module and when I click on the user Presets nothing happens. The other presets are grayed out as well.
So I need a starting point.
Thanking you in advance for your assistance.
phil

Matt,
I installed your Nikon presets but they did nothing to my raw files from a Nikon P7100 camera. Since Adobe does not include camera profiles for point and shoot cameras I thought I’d use your profiles. Lightroom’s profile for the P7100 raw files is terrible to say the least.

Am I doing something wrong or do your profiles only work with certain cameras?

Matt,
I use iMovie to create a movie of all my photos. I use Lightroom to process my photos (crop usually 1:1 or 4:5 or 2:1) and then try to export them using SlideShow module and then save them as jpeg from slideshow menu option. All this so I can get them all in same aspect ratio for 1080p HDTV. Is there any easier way or should I keep anything in mind.